Up for a game?
by freee
Summary: Sometimes it takes the help of ghost to unveil a talent greater than anyone could have guessed..
1. Chapter 1

By freee

Disclaimer: I do not own Hikaru no Go

Author's notes:

First of all, this is my very first story. I'm not sure where it's headed yet, but for now

some ideas swirl around in my head and I hope I can implement them into many chapters.

The storyline won't be **completely** different from the original one, but I took the liberty of changing times, places and age differences - and well, I tried to maintain the character's personalities as represented in the manga, but it might slightly differ.

Btw, since English is not my mother tongue, I'm afraid mistakes are going to be unavoidable, so please bear with me. =) and most importantly: R&R!

Prologue

"Hell, judging by the dust, no one seems to have been inside here for at least 10 years!"

Sneezing because he'd inhaled the dust to deeply, 14 - year old Hikaru wiped his watery eyes. He had finally decided to go through the things in grandpa's old shed - not that he expected to find anything of value since grandpa used to collect all kinds of useless things. He already eyed one of the big boxes in the far left corner of the room he knew was filled with old trophies which gramps got for getting in first or second in tournaments - for a board game called 'Go' if he recalled correctly - not

that he could ever forget.

Grandpa always used to talk about Go and to whoever came visiting, he would suggest playing a game of Go. If he wasn't playing or talking about it, he would think about that game and whoever sat close enough to him could hear him mumbling to himself about good or bad moves. It seemed that Go was the old man's elixir of life. He even tried to make Hikaru play, tried to show him the 'beauty of that ancient game', as he used to say, but that's exactly what it was for Hikaru and where it ended - an ancient game, not more nor less, made for old people not knowing how to spend their old days differently - hell, where there even people under the age of 50 playing that game?

He had played it once or twice with Gramps, but got too bored to finish either game and never felt the desire to try again.

Thinking about the past made the emotions well up inside of him again. Grandpa had been gone for 3 months now and it still hurt a lot. Hikaru let a sob escape his mouth as tears started emerging from his eyes yet again.

There had been endless occasions when Hikaru had got annoyed with gramps the couple times he'd came over to visit him. Well, basically it had been grandpa's own fault for bringing up the topic of Go again and again since gramps knew exactly he didn't want to hear or talk about it. Nevertheless he still loved and missed him a lot. Gramps had been one of the few people he could openly talk to. He would listen, give rather sound advice and annoy the hell out of him - he was like a father figure he knew he hadn't in his biological one since that one was never around to begin with. His own father was a businessman who'd never taken time for his son. Trips across the country and even abroad filled Shindo Masao's time and life, leaving his son to his wife's care. Although his father's job left them well off, Hikaru would have preferred to live in poverty and with his dad around than seeing his dad once every month only.

His Grandpa, not happy at all about the situation in the Shindo household, had sworn to himself, that his little grandson would have a father-figure around him, if not his own father, than at least himself, old Shindo.

Everything went well until 3 months ago. Grandpa's heart had finally stopped beating.

Hikaru had never known Gramps had got heart problems - no one had cared to tell him, no, had **made sure **not to tell him.

Gramps hadn't want Hikaru to burden with the knowledge of his illness, wanted his brazen, shameless little grandson to be the same brat he usually was. That brat could mourn for him after his death, but not while he was still around, he selfishly decided - an old man would at least be allowed to act selfish on his old days now, wouldn't he?

Too bad he couldn't convince that little, bratty grandson of his of playing his beloved board game.

Go required intelligence, a strategic mind and the power of intense concentration.

Old Shindo knew his grandson wasn't an airhead like he made some people believe - he knew him way too well.

He was just a lazy lad, not willing to study, except for things which really interested him - like Soccer - he had started playing in elementary school and now in high school he was the star player among his team. Looked up by males, adored by females. Yes, it was too bad, he didn't put in the same effort in learning how to play Go as in playing soccer.

He had tried everything to awake his interest, but all his efforts had eventually failed. That brat stubbornly refused to even touch a Go stone, no idea why he was so dead set on not playing. In the end he fell so low, he even tried to arouse pity from him by pouting and crying crocodile-tears - though not even that had helped.

But then again, maybe there was still some hope left. In his last will, old Shindo made sure to leave all his belongings in his shed to Hikaru. There he stored kifus, books and old scrolls about Go, all from old masters, the famous Honinbu Shusaku being one of them. There was even this old goban he once got from an antique shop. After hearing, that a 1000-year old ghost was supposed to possess that goban, old Shindo decided to put that very same one in his shed and rather use a newer one he purchased a couple years before.

Not that he was scared, God beware, but you never know. Better not mess with a ghost. Then again, maybe Hikaru would feel something being surrounded by the things he himself used to love so much. Maybe he should pray that that ghost would really exist, hound his Grandson and ignite the passion for Go inside of him, a task he completely failed to accomplish.

And maybe it was all just an impossible dream, but at least he could try.

Standing in the open doorway to grandpa's old shed, Hikaru let his eyes scan the room. He'd been inside that dusty thing only once in the past and when figuring out there was nothing valuable inside, he never cared to step inside again. Now it was his.

He didn't dare coming here the past three months, afraid he wouldn't be able to stay strong but burst into tears. After all, the things in here represented grandpa - his love and dedication to this game was beyond Hikaru, but he respected it nevertheless. At least he tried to. He knew, Gramps very life was stored in this room.

Of course he'd had some old geezer friends he used to meet on a regular basis, but this, Go, was his passion. Even though he'd been only on an amateur level, all that had counted was his heart and his dedication.

Hikaru looked around. Seeing all the books and scrolls, he felt a lump in his throat. He stood still and tried to regain his composure. He had cried a lot and now it was time to move on. He knew that that's how grandpa would've want it.

"Seriously, Gramps. You're never going to give up, are you? Not even in death. Leaving me this junk behind! What am I supposed to do with it? Hell, I should just leave it here as it's always been here anyway!"

He moved to the only window of the old shed, breathing out heavily. Rays of the setting sun shined trough the window glass, illuminating the corner of the shed Hikaru hadn't looked at yet. He turned around, seeing an old shelf with more scrolls and even more books. On the floor a very old goban rested. Seeing how old it seemed, Hikaru drew closer to examine if he could possibly get some money by selling it.

It wasn't one of the cheap gobans like the foldable ones, he assessed. It had four legs it stood upon, each one carved beautifully. Although the sides and surface displayed considerable traces of usage, it still looked useable and somehow elegant.

_Since it's old, it probably has some worth, right? So instead of leaving it in the shed where no one uses it, why not let someone who understands its worth have it? Maybe I can get some good money out of it._

Musing about his cut allowance, as result from his bad grades in maths, and how the sale of that goban could positively effect his cash-strapped situation, Hikaru examined the goban carefully. His eyes were immediately drawn to a spot he hadn't seen in his haste. One corner of the surface was covered with stains which although weren't too bright, would draw attention to the eye nevertheless.

"Weird", Hikaru whispered, bowing over the board to examine the stains closer. "These stains look like blood to me. Geez, no one would want to buy a blood stained board.. dang.."

Using the hem of his shirt, he tried to clean the goban, but only dust came of.

"…_you can see the blood stains….?", _a voice, barely audible, whispered.

Hikaru froze. With eyes widened and shivers running down his spine, he carefully turned around, eyeing every corner of the room for some intruder. No one was there. He slowly let a shaky breath escape his mouth. Maybe he was getting crazy. The last couple months were an emotional rollercoaster, perhaps it was _normal_ to hear voices in his condition..?

"_..can you.. can you hear my voice, perchance?"_, the voice whispered again, this time sounding more urgent and desperate. Hikaru stood up and turned around. "Who is it? Who are you, come out, this is not funny!" he cried.

"_You really.. you're able to hear me, thank God, I can finally return to the living world!"_

Terrified, Hikaru backed away from the goban as it started glowing and a person, dressed in strange clothes emerged from it, floating in the air, gleaming in the setting sun.

Awestruck and absolutely not being able to deal with the sudden appearance of whatever that was, Hikaru fell on his bottom. With eyes almost popping out of his head and a scream stuck in his throat he got up, turned on his heels and ran as fast as he could out of the shed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Finally arriving at home, Hikaru dashed up the stairs into his room, not hearing his mother's greeting and annoyed exclaim, how rude that son of hers turned out to be after being such a cute kid back in the days - well, way back in the old days. 

Shindo Mitsuko sighed. She knew her son was still hurting. He loved his grandpa so much, he would need lots of time to get over that loss. With a heavy heart she admitted to herself, that Hikaru probably wouldn't hurt as much about his father's death than about his grandfather's. And that was no surprise, since the old man had literally stuck on his grandson.

Sighing again, Mitsuko looked around the kitchen. Maybe she should prepare Hikaru's favourite food, Ramen. At least that would make him feel a little bit better.

Closing the door behind him, Hikaru breathed out slowly. "Geez, I'm really losing my sanity..", he whispered.

"_Really? Why, what's wrong with you? You don't feel well?"_

Opening his eyes, Hikaru looked straight in the ghost's face he just now made himself believe he only imagined back in the shed - the dust and heavy air had played with his mind and.. yeah.. well, whatever, it seemed that excuse didn't work any longer.

"_**AAAAAAAHHHHH!**_", Hikaru started screaming and the ghost, not knowing what had that boy startled, joined him. "**Aaaahhhh..ah..ah…w..wha..what are you!**" Hikaru shoutet.

Suddenly his door opened and his mother stood in the doorway. "Hikaru, what happened? Are you alright?" she asked, concern written all over her face.

"Uh..mom.. No nothing.. but.. Ahaha.." Embarrassed and not knowing how to bring up the ghost in his room, he carefully asked his mother: "You don't .. perchance.. see something.. unusual .. in my room?"

His mother looked worriedly at him. "Son, everything is the way it used to be - not that I approve of it. You should try to clean your room once in a while. So no, I don't see anything unusual, just the same sad familiar sight of your mess."

"Uh.. Okay. Thanks mom."

After his mother left and closed the door behind her, Hikaru turned around to face the figure in his room. What on earth was happening? It seemed he was the only one who could see him, since his mother didn't act abnormal. Or was he really getting crazy? He glanced at the ghost who had obviously followed him.

'_I hope this thing doesn't plan on following me around from now on, that's way too creepy_.'

"_O, you're so meeeeaaaan, I'm not a thing!"_

Hikaru stared disbelievingly at the pouting ghost. "You!..you can read my thoughts!" he shouted out.

"_Uh, yes. Since you were able to see the blood stains on the goban I got attached to you. We're connected now through our minds, I can't hear everything, only the thoughts you're sending to me. My name is Fujiwara no Sai, by the way."_

"… I can't believe I'm talking to a ghost right now.. uuhhm.. Listen.. you're not one of a.. uhm violent nature, now are you?" Hikaru asked, trying his best to calm down. 

"_Violent?", _the ghost asked, appalled by the mere thought. _"Most certainly not, I'm a cultivated man after all_", he added haughtily.

A bit reassured by the ghost's reaction, Hikaru breathed a sigh of relief and curiosity got the better of him.

"Fujiwara no Sai.. Weird name. My name is Shindo Hikaru, just call me Hikaru. But listen - I'm not sure what's exactly going on, but how long do you thing you're gonna follow me? A couple hours? Until tomorrow? Why are you here anyways? … Grandpa told me once, ghosts only roam the world because there's something plaguing them, some unfinished business or something. I mean, you are a ghost, right? And why on earth are you wearing a dress? Are you a woman perchance?" Hikaru asked with a disapprovingly expression on his face. Not that he was against women, but hearing the ghost's deep voice and seeing him wear something so absolutely feminine just didn't sit well with him.

While he went over to sit on his bed, Sai watched Hikaru with an unreadable look on his face. A pretty face, Hikaru had to admit.

Now that he wasn't in a state of shock any longer - well, not that he was at ease either, how could one with a talking ghost in ones room - he took his time studying his interesting opposite - and interesting he was indeed.

His face was prettier than most female's he knew, with violet eyes, a straight nose and red painted lips. He had very long, dark hair, a shade of purple, wich was tied at his hair ends, and rubin red earrings adorned his ears. He was tall and seemed slender. A long hat, one he'd never seen before in his 14 years, sat on top of the ghost's head and instead of some slacks he was wearing a long, thick layered white dress with wide sleeves. In his right hand he was holding a light yellow fan which he now opened to cover half of his face with.

Hikaru looked up as soon as the ghost started speaking.

"_It's not a dress, it's called kosode. This was considered male clothes in the Era I used to live. It's very expensive and only nobles as I would be able to wear distinguished clothes as these, furthermore.."_

"Alright, alright, so you're not a woman, no need to get all high and mighty."__Hikaru stopped Sai's tirade with a wave of his hand.

"_You're right about one thing, Hikaru. I'm still here because there's still something I haven't accomplished yet. In order to reach that, God allowed me once again to come back. For 1000 years I've been selfish, but God has granted my wish nevertheless and for that I'm grateful. I still haven't mastered the Hand of God and for that I can't leave peacefully just yet."_

"Eeeeeehh?" Hikaru exclaimed. "Hand of God? What's that?"

"Hikaru! Who are you talking to?"__his mother shouted from downstairs.

"Ooops." Hikaru whispered. "Maybe we should try speaking in our minds?"

"_No one can hear me except for you, Hikaru, so I'm going to continue speaking to you like that, since I wasn't able to in the last hundred years", _Sai proclaimed happily.

"_As for the Hand of God.. It's the divine move. The perfect game one can achieve in playing Go."_

'_**Huh? GO? **__You mean, Go as the board game Go?'_

"_Yes of course. I used to be a Go instructor in the palace. I taught the nobles, the court ladies and even the emperor himself."_

'_Hmmm.. makes sense since you appeared out of a goban. So you're striving for that perfect game. Well, I wish you good luck with that than. Hope you're gonna find it.'_

Hikaru fell back on his bed and closed his eyes. Go again. Could he never escape from that? Well, that ghost could do whatever he wanted as far as he was concerned. When he heard a rustle next to him, he opened his eyes just to look at a pitiful face only several inches above him. Large eyes stared at him and Hikaru knew, there was something more to it, something he wouldn't like to hear.

'_Don't give me that look, Sai. What is it, spit it out.'_

"_Umm.. Hikaru. There is a problem, you see, I can't play Go on my own. Only you can see me, so how am I supposed to play, I can't even touch things_", Sai said with a sad look on his face. Not being able to touch his beloved stones or feel the texture of a goban was more than he could bear. His eyes started getting watery and Hikaru, who watched Sai with a horror streaked face, got up quickly.

'_Don't start crying. Geeeez, you act like a girl! And what do you mean? Don't even think that I'm gonna play for you! Gramps annoyed the hell out of me, trying to get me to play, so don't YOU start as well!'_

"_But Hikaru!" _Sai wailed.

'_No Sai, just show and attach yourself to someone else, I have enough things to think about. I don't need a Go-crazy ghost following me around, I'm in high school and in the soccer club, so I'm pretty busy. You should find someone, who actually has the time for playing. An old geezer should be perfect. That way you can play the whole day, hour after hour, I mean, that would make you happy, right? Right?'_

Sai just gazed down, a crestfallen look on his face that made Hikaru feel a little bit guilty.

'_Look, you said, you've been here for about 1000 years. There should've been people_

_around who actually saw you, right? So there should probably be someone around here, who's also able to see you.'_

Sai's depressed expression turned into a melancholic one.

"_Yes, there was one person before you, who found my goban, like you did today. It was more than 100 years ago. Torajiro was a mere boy but he was very good to me. He saw my tears of grief on the goban no one else was able to see. We played lots of games until the unfortunate day he died from cholera. It's his bloodstains you saw on the goban. He was very young when he died, and so I once again had to return to the goban, waiting for someone who would be able to see the stains…"_

'_You mean, besides this Torajiro guy, I'm the only one who has ever seen you in all these 1000 years?' _

Finding himself dumbfounded, Hikaru stared at the pitiful ghost. Great, just great! Not only was there a Go-loving ghost with him, but it seemed that the only person on the **whole earth **who could see Sai was HIM!

He felt a headache arise and sighed - what was he supposed to do now? It wasn't that he hated Go, but it just seemed to be so.. boring. But then again, he couldn't just leave it as it was, who knew what that ghost was capable of doing, not getting what he wanted.

He felt a sting of guilt. Sai had been around for 1000 years, just because of his love for Go. It reminded Hikaru a little bit of gramps. What was it about Go, that both men got so crazy over it? Maybe he should let Sai play a little bit - only at a minimum of course, so that Sai wouldn't start wailing again. Geez.. Being stuck with a wailing ghost, now who would believe that? Then it struck him again. Sai had stayed with that Torajiro guy until the very day he had died. That meant.. Sai wasn't leaving him so soon as he had thought. Maybe never. He shuddered. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea to call in an exorcist..

'_Listen Sai, I realize that for now we're stuck with each other. Gramps had loved to play Go and for his sake I'm gonna try to understand a little bit how you feel, that's why I'm gonna try to let you play now and then.'_

He wanted to add that he shouldn't expect it to be that often, but dropped it when he saw how happy his news had made Sai. He pulled him into a tight hug and danced around with Hikaru in his arms. Although Sai couldn't touch any objects, it seemed that touching Hikaru wasn't much of a problem. Hikaru shuddered once again. Being touched by a ghost felt strange. It felt cold but with the joy and happiness Sai radiated, he didn't feel uncomfortable. Sai was full of energy and his aura made Hikaru feel relaxed against all odds.

Maybe it wasn't that bad having his very own ghost..?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

"Nice game, Shindo!", Takeshi Hyyuga shouted, running past him.

"Yeah, you also played well, Takeshi. Next tournament we're gonna kick asses!",

Hikaru yelled back, oblivious to the girls stares as he and Sai walked past the school ground, heading back home. Sai on the other hand hid a smile behind his fan. Hikaru seemed to be really popular along the students. The boys seemed to respect him, although Sai couldn't imagine why someone would look up to such a rude and shameless brat, and girls started giggling and whispering as soon as Hikaru came in sight. He closed his eyes and sighed. Yes, time really changed. While in the past manners and decorum in general were a sign of a good upbringing and very important, it seemed that now the majority didn't care about tradition and etiquette.

'_What is it, Sai, why are you sighing_?', Hikaru asked, smiling. _'Already impatient? I promised you you'd get your game today, and I didn't forget but first priority was my soccer club.' _"I know Hikaru, and you're a good player, as far as I can judge. You made your team mates look bad next to you."

'_Hehe, thanks Sai! By the way, we have to get off a station before the usual one. According to the map we looked up yesterday on the internet, there's a Go salon somewhere near_.'

After they got on the train Hikaru turned to Sai. He seemed to be happy, probably thinking about the upcoming games already. Hikaru sighed. It was good that his ghost was happy. He learned the hard way that making Sai cry would end up bad only for himself. Yesterday he had to run to the bathroom several times emptying his stomach as Sai's tears somehow affected his 'inner-body's-life', and only after he had promised Sai to let him play the very next day and not the next week as he had originally planed, the tears had stopped flowing. 'By the way _Sai, you look still very young. Why did you die? Where you sick like Torajiro was?_'

The happiness in Sai's face faded and was replaced by one of pain. Hikaru immediately regretted having asked as the memories seemed to bring his friend much agony - wait, friend? Hikaru smiled. Yes, they'd only met the day before, but they had formed a bond already. Too very different people, yet their souls connected. Sai needed him, and he himself needed a friend right now, someone who could feel what he was feeling now. Death was a familiar occurrence to Sai who had not only seen strangers die but also beloved ones. So who could understand him better than Sai?

He yanked out of his daydreams as soon as Sai started talking.

"I told you yesterday, that I had been the Emperor's Go instructor. But I hadn't been the only one, there was yet another, an older man who I used to respect. He was a great Go player, but he got jealous of me as I got better with each game. We played a game against each other before the great emperor, the stakes very high with only the winner to remain at court. He cheated in that game but accused me of doing that very vile thing. Being confused and in an anxious state of mind after his accusation, I lost and got banned from the capital. With everyone calling me a liar and cheater, and not being able to continue playing Go, I didn't see anything left worth living for, so I drowned myself 2 days later. I was 27 when I died, that's why I remained looking like this."

Sympathizing with him , Hikaru took hold of Sai's hand and squeezed it. Surprised by the teen's action, Sai looked at Hikaru. "Thank you, Hikaru. I'm fine. It's been so long and although looking back doesn't really make me happy, I still had enough time to put the greatest pain behind me." Sai smiled at the teen. Weird. He had been with Hikaru for only a short while, but he felt already connected to him - Like the time when he was with Torajiro. But nothing like Hikaru, Torajiro had loved playing Go. He even gave up playing himself, letting Sai play in his stead. Hikaru on the other hand wasn't even willing to learn. Why did God lead him to this stubborn boy who knew nothing about Go? Well, he was certainly curious to find out the reason.

'_So here it is, Sai. Looks certainly like a nice place from the outside. I hope we don't have to pay that much, my allowance got shortened this week since I brought home some.. uh.. let's say, not the best grades. Maybe we can play for money, huh? How good are you anyway?_', Hikaru and Sai stood before a high class Go salon with Hikaru still uncertain whether to go inside or not. "Let's goooooo, Hikaru!" Sai fussed around the teen. "Let's go inside! I haven't played for such a long time! And no, we don't play for money! Hikaru!", the ghost exclaimed huffily. '_Yeah, yeah, it was just an idea. If you don't want to play for money, than you can't play Go that often since I don't have the money to pay every time you desire to play_.' Hikaru responded slyly.

"HIKARUUUUU!"

Inside the salon, Hikaru looked around, absorbing everything and everyone in the room. '_Geez.. Like I said, only old men play Go. I feel like I got into an old folks home. Man, can it get any worse..' _"O Hikaru, look, look! They're all playing! There are at least 20 people here! Let's play them all! I'm going to crush all of them!" Sai exclaimed excitedly.

"Hello. Are you here to play?" A pretty young woman was standing behind the desk, wearing a friendly smile on her face.

"Uhm, yes. I want to play the strongest person here." Hikaru replied hesitantly. If he wanted to make money by letting Sai play, he should first of all figure out, if that ghost of his was any good at this game. After all he hadn't played for at least a hundred years, who knew, maybe a hundred years ago his skills were good, but compared to now? So the smartest thing was to let him play the best here to see if he had any chances, right?

"The strongest?", the woman at the desk chuckled. "Alright, first of all, I want you to write down your name and Go-level in this form, than we will see what we can do. Is this your first time here?" Ichikawa Harumi looked at the cute boy who had bent his head to read the form. He was about the same age as the Go-salon owner's son, Touya Akira. Not many teens found their way in here and certainly not any kids who looked like that boy in front of her. She took a good look at him, noticing that he had beautiful green eyes and a charming smile, radiating cheerfulness and energy. But the bleached bangs of his made him look like a punk, he probably was a delinquent at school. He didn't dress formally either like Akira-kun most times did, but wore a simple green cotton shirt, matching his eyes and black shorts, according to the hot weather outside. No, he was nothing like Akira-kun, but charming nevertheless, Ishikawa-san decided.

"Uhm..I don't know what to put in the column for 'Go-level'. I've never really played anyone before and would like to test my skills here, so would you be so kind to tell me, who the best player is in this room?"

Ichikawa stared at him disbelievingly. Was he joking? It didn't seem so. Well, if he was wishing for humiliation, it didn't concern her. Too bad, Akira-kun wasn't here yet, he would have beaten the arrogance out of that boy, but well, the others would do just fine. She chuckled. _Poor boy, prepare yourself for your first loss then, _she thought.

"Just leave it blank then, it's not too important. The fee is 500 yen since you're not full-aged yet." While Hikaru searched for the money in his pocket, Ichiwara shouted to an old man sitting not too far away from Hikaru to prepare himself to play against the teen. "But don't be too hard on him, since it's his first game", she added and turned around to take Hikaru's money and wink at him.

Hikaru blushed and walked over to the man the desk-lady had spoken to before. "Please go full out on me if you don't want to be crushed.", Hikaru said while sitting down opposite his opponent.

"Whaaaat? You're pretty cocky, brat! You have to live 100 more years until you can beat me. I'm not gonna go easy on you, so you better prepare yourself!", his opponent proclaimed in an annoyed tone.

'_Sai, you better be as good as you made me believe, otherwise I'm not gonna be able to show up here again_', Hikaru thought, getting slightly nervous as both players took their bowls, taking of the lids.

"Don't worry Hikaru." Sai smiled behind his open fan.

Hikaru's bowl contained black stones but what was he supposed to do with it again? "Nigiri", his opponent ordered.

'_Ah, yes, that was it! Gramps told me once about that_.' Hikaru took out 2 black stones and laid them down on the board. He won the right to play with the black stones and waited now for Sai to tell him where to put down the first stone. '_By the way, Sai. You should probably point with your fan on the position for me to put the stone down. I'm not really familiar with the terminology, so you better make it as easy as possible for me. Otherwise I could easily lose too much of my patience to continue playing_', he added cheekily with a smirk, just to annoy his ghost a bit.

When no tone came back from Sai, Hikaru looked up at his side where Sai was standing, only to see that tears were flowing down his cheeks. Joy was written all over Sai's face and Hikaru once again felt like an imbecile for teasing Sai like that.

Closing his fan, Sai started to point at the very first move.

Hikaru took a stone between his thumb and forefinger and placed it down at 4-4.

"pa-chi"

_Humph. He holds the stones like a total beginner. That's not gonna be too hard of a game_. With placing down his white stone on 2-4, the game started to progress.

"pa-chi" "pa-chi"

"pa-chi" "pa-chi"

"pa-chi" "pa-chi"

After 20 minutes of playing, all people in the salon were crowded together around the table were Hikaru and his opponent were playing. Disbelief was written on all of their faces. Looking at his opponent's face, Hikaru could see the sweat running down the man's temple, his eyes filled with horror and ultimately resignation. "I resign", he whispered.

Hikaru was still dumbfounded. He'd never doubt Sai again, of that he was sure. He didn't go easy on his opponent, hell, he had slaughtered him! _'Sai, was that really necessary? I don't understand much about this game, but even I can tell, that something is definitely abnormal here.' _"Sorry, Hikaru." Sai exclaimed happily belying his only now stated apology. "I was so happy to finally play again, that I couldn't hold it in. The next game I'm going to hold back a bit."

'_Next game, my ass. Who said we're gonna stay here any longer?' _

"What? But Hikaruuuuuu!"

"Hey brat, who are you? You must be a pro to play such a good game", the man, he'd played only a few minutes ago, asked earnestly.

Without replying, since no one would believe him anyway that he'd never played before, Hikaru got up and barged his way through the murmuring crowd. '_Let's leave, Sai, before they awake from their stupor. There's no way I can explain how I was able to play such a game_.' Hurrying towards the door, he saw another teen about his own age enter the salon. Well, at least he guessed it was another teen. He was wearing an elegant suit and his dark hair reached his shoulders. No one the age of 14 should look like that, Hikaru decided quietly.

"Oh, you've finished already?", Ichikawa asked him happily. Seeing her blush and excitement, Hikaru guessed it had something do to with the newly arrived guest. "Uhm.. Yes, and I have enough for now. It's pretty exhausting playing for such a long time, so I'm gonna leave now. At least I know my strength now", he added, grinning.

The other teen looked curiously at Hikaru. But before he could react in any way, Hikaru bid good-bye and dashed outside.

"Who was that boy?", Touya Akira asked, looking at the door the other teen escaped through. "Ah. His name is Shindo Hikaru, it was his first time here and he especially asked for a strong opponent. Poor boy, he probably got totally crushed, I asked Kishima-san to play him", Ichikawa snickered.

Akira went over to the table, were a big crowd still hovered over a game. Knowing that it was the game between Kishima-san and the teen, since the old man was still sitting in front of the goban, Akira glanced at the board to see the flow of the game. Eyes widening in disbelief, he stared at the board as the others did. Shaking himself out of his stupor, he forced himself to think. How was that possible? This wasn't a simple game between amateurs. Well, at least not with the opponent being the holder of the black stones! It was a slaughter! Black was **levels** above white, white didn't have a chance right from the start! Although the style was a bit old and outdated, it was still very powerful. Raising his eyes to Kishima-san, he knew that it was that man who had lost so bad. He knew the old man's style and although he was a strong player, better than all the other regulars in this salon, he certainly wasn't on black's level. Hell, not even he himself was on that level and he was a 3-dan after all! "Kishima-san, did that boy say he'd come back here again?", he asked the old man. Kishima looked up at Akira's face, only now taking a notice of him. "O, Akira-sensei. Welcome, I haven't seen you come in." Kishima sighed. "I don't know if he'll come back here or not. Do you know him, Akira-sensei? I thought he was just an impudent brat having too much arrogance for his own good, but he must be a pro after all, since he was able to beat me like this." "No, he's not a pro, at least not one I know of. Someone with such skills would be widely known in the pro world", Akira replied. Strange, where did such skill come from if not having been nourished within the pro world? Was he from overseas perhaps? No, he spoke and looked like a Japanese, he surly was no foreigner. A tremble ran through Akira's body. Maybe finally someone had arrived who was worthy to be chased after? _A rival after all?_

"Kishima-san, you really lost?", Akira heard Ichikawa exclaiming next to him.

"But how is that possible, Shindo said, he hadn't played anyone before! Did you let him win on purpose?", she inquired. Sorely shocked, Akira turned quickly towards the woman he had known since early childhood. "**This was his very first game?**"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

Storming out of the Go-salon, Hikaru took a glance at the signs to figure out the directions to the train station. '_Sai, that was awesome! You're really strong! With your strength we can play many people and make tons of money!_', Hikaru laughed out loud, his thoughts whirling around the newly opened possibilities. "Hikaru, forget about that! I'm not going to play for money!", Sai cried, insulted by the mere thought of playing his beloved game only to satisfy Hikaru's thirst for money. '_Geez, Sai. Can you even imagine how rich we could get? No one would be able to beat you, and .. _a sudden thought crossed Hikaru's mind, _'.. but then again _.._To find people willing to play for money will probably not be so easy if they do all think like you. Man, why are Go players so stuffy_!'

"You think so, because you don't understand the very nature of Go. The hard work we put in the effort to rise above our opponents and overcome ourselves - to reach a whole new level we've never thought possible, to finally achieve the 'Hand of God'. The path of Go is plastered with defeats and tears, but each time you overcome a hurdle, nothing can compare to the feeling of victory and fullfillment, feeling the 'Hand of God' getting closer and closer with each win.", Sai proclaimed passionately.

'.._You really mean it, you won't play if it's for money_?' "Hikaru! Did you hear even one word of what I said?" '_**Aaah**__! Alright, alright, stop clinging on my neck, you're strangling me_!', as Sai let go of Hikaru, the teen started coughing, oblivious to the stares people were giving him for his weird behaviour on the platform of the train station.

'_Geez, you're really a pain, Sai. Let's go, the train's coming._'

Being back home, Hikaru lay down on his bed, a manga in his hands he hadn't read yet while Sai was taking in every detail in Hikaru's room, followed by an "Ah" and "Oh". In front of a black, square something on Hikaru's desk, Sai stopped to figure out what it could possibly be. "Hikaru, what is that thing on your table? Indeed, there are really strange decorations in this time period." '_That's_ _not some decoration, Sai!_', Hikaru stated, laughing at the silly ghost. '_It's called a computer, you can do lots of things with that, playing games, writing letters or essays for school, or even go on the internet and talk to friends.' _"Huh?" Sai was thoroughly confused.

'_Alright, let me show you, since you won't understand otherwise_", Hikaru replied, still grinning. His friend was really dense. How could anyone not know about computers? But then again, he wasn't from this time after all, so no big surprise.

After waiting a minute until the computer booted, Hikaru showed Sai how it worked.

'_See, going online now, I can search for all kind of things, play different games with people from all over the world and watch funny videos_.' Sai had a hard time absorbing everything. "A magic box, indeed, it is magic", he wondered out aloud.

Hikaru started laughing. _'No, Sai, it's not a magic box, it's called technology but don't ask me what makes it work, that's way over my head._' Sai looked thoughtfully at the magic box. No matter what Hikaru said, it was still beyond him - and since he wasn't able to comprehend it, he would call it as he saw it fitted to be called. A sudden thought struck him. Did Hikaru say, people could play games with this box? He better asked again. "Hikaru, if you can play different kinds of games in this box, does it include Go?" _Yiiikes_ '_What_?' Hikaru asked, feeling cornered. Great, just great! Now, the blame was to put on no one else but him - he let the words slip out of his mouth and now Sai had this expectantly look on his face, eyes shining with excitement. He sighed. How couldn't bring himself to lie to make it easier for himself.

'_Yes, you can probably play Go online as well. I've never tried it, though_.' Sighing again, Hikaru asked the inevitable. '_You want to try.._?'

Ogata Seiji, 9-dan and current holder of the Judan -title, closed the door after Ashiwara, one of the study group members had left his apartment. He had brought over some kifus Ogata had asked for, as he had an upcoming match with Kurata 8-dan and wanted to get familiar with his opponent's playing style. Not that he'd never played him before - and won, of course, but it had been a while and Kurata had most likely gained strength since then.

Putting the kifus away since he had no desire to occupy himself with that yet, Ogata headed towards his computer. He had played a formidable match today against the sour-faced Ichiryu and needed to clear his head by playing less strong opponents now. They always provided a nice distraction, maybe zelda was online, a shodan from the same Go institute as Ogata had got to know a short while ago, or perhaps kenji. As he logged in, loads of people started sending requests to play him. 'seiji' was widely known at netgo, known as a powerful opponent with great skills, hence play-wise greatly sought after. Most people assumed the pro Ogata Seiji behind the alias.

Not wanting to play just any crappy player, Ogata declined all requests. _Hmm.. No player I know online.. But what's with this game, why are there so many observers?_

Interested why so many people would watch a simple game, he took a glance at the names. _Mamba vs. sai. Never heard of them_. Following the others example, Ogata also clicked on to appease his curiosity. At first glance he assessed the game. Black was winning. He played a beautiful game, cutting of his opponent's white stones before he could connect, forcing white to give up on the center. White wasn't even near black's level. Who was black? _Sai.. Interesting. But what is your real strength? How will you play against a stronger opponent? As for now it's hard do determine your level even though you're certainly strong. Will you also be able to play such a good game against me? _Ogata sneered. It was highly unlikely.

Finally, mamba also realized that he had lost and resigned. _Humph, you should have given up 20 hands ago, dumbass_. As he thought about challenging sai himself, some other guy preempted him. _jiaozi. _Now that was going to be interesting. Behind the alias 'jiaozi' was a Chinese pro he personally knew. He'd also played him a couple times on netgo and he was a strength to be reckoned with. Ogata laid back in his chair, highly absorbed in the unfolding game before him.

One and a half hour later, it wasn't possible for Ogata to sit back and relax any longer. As a matter of fact, he hadn't been able doing that after both players had laid down about 20 stones. Sai played the white stones this time and was supposed to play defensively against such a strong player as jiaozi, but he quickly turned the tables. Sai was the aggressor and slaughtered his poor opponent. How was that possible! When playing against mamba, sai had definitely hold back, not wanting to crush him so bad as mamba wasn't a high level player yet, of that Ogata was sure now. But with jiaozi as opponent, sai had quickly figured out that it wasn't just an amateur he was playing, so he went out fully against him. Playing 2 or 3 more hands, jiaozi resigned, as there was no chance to catch up again and a few seconds later sai disappeared from the list.

Ogata stared at his monitor, memorizing the game so he could replay it later again. A chill ran down his spine.

Who on earth was sai? Why hadn't he heard of him before? He wasn't one of the pros from the institute, he would have recognized their styles. Next to sai's name had been written that he was Japanese, but he couldn't bethink anyone playing like that. Odd.. This playing style.. It was totally outdated, no one played such moves anymore since some of them would be called dangerously open, hence vulnerable. But sai had protected these risky moves nonetheless and the most frightening, or in Ogata's view, thrilling thing was, that there was so much room for growth for that player_. That such a person exists.. Playing exactly like shuusaku, he must have studied him a lot. I have to play him!_

Hikaru logged out, stretching in his chair, yawning loudly. '_That should be enough for today, Sai. This last week we played so much Go that it even started hunting me in my dreams. Geeez, maybe we should take a break from it for .. let's say, a month or so, what do you think, Sai?_' Hikaru grinned, knowing his ghost would start a tirade after hearing him say such an outraged thing. When he heard no sound, Hikaru turned around to see Sai, still looking at the monitor, smiling. "That was a good game, Hikaru. This person was very strong so I had to go out fully on him. How I've missed that.. Playing such strong opponents." He sighed wistfully. Turning his head to the teenage boy, Sai started studying him. "Hikaru, you've watched me play the last week, and I've noticed that you were engrossed in the match as well. Don't you want to try playing yourself?"

Hikaru cringed. Mentally not prepared to deal with his unwanted new interest in Go yet, he averted his eyes and got up, walking towards his bed. _'Tomorrow's school, so I better hit the sack. Good night, Sai.' _

Knowing the boy needed to get used to the idea first, Sai didn't inquire any further and bid him good night as well.

Hikaru turned towards the wall and closed his eyes. Sai was right, he had really sponged up the games Sai had played. Hell, he had even memorized each one of them! Finding himself interested in Go wasn't so easy to accept. He should know better, weren't there only old people in that Go world? Alright, he had seen that boy around his own age at the salon, but it was probably only someone asking for directions, or the milk deliverer, or.. whatever. He wasn't willing to let his youth fade away like that, sitting hours upon hours with some old geezers, watching them placing down stones with their shaky hands. But against all logic, this game started getting exciting. Drifting into sleep, Hikaru saw himself floating in the air in some unknown place, setting down Go stones on glowing lines and stars of an invisible goban.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

'Shut up, Sai! Seriously, I'm sorely tempted to go back home and sleep another round or two.'

Mumbling some other threats under his breath, Hikaru crossed the street as the traffic lights turned green. He felt a hell of a headache arise, all thanks to that annoying ghost of his. Who would have thought that he would turn out to be even more of a nuisance than gramps ever had been back in the days. Hikaru gave Sai an evil look who immediately averted his eyes and hid his face behind his open fan, wise enough to hold his tongue.

After yesterday's playing session on Netgo, they had read on the internet that a Go convention would be held in Tokyo, not very far from where they lived, so Sai had begged and cried to go there. Hikaru, although not really enthralled by the thought but not wanting to disappoint Sai either, had agreed to go there the next day. Inside he had been torn between going and perhaps be seen by friends on his way there, not wanting them to know his new awakened interest in Go, or not going with the knowledge of maybe missing out on something. In the end his curiosity got the better of him and he gave in. Being in a good mood he went to bed, thinking the following day would turn out to be a good and exciting one.

Well, he hadn't expected Sai to bug him that early in the morning. Since Sai was a ghost, he didn't need any sleep at all, as consequence he got himself all giddy with excitement thinking throughout the night about the following day. At 6 o'clock, Sai, not being able to contain his anxiety any longer, tried to get Hikaru out of his bed, whining and begging, causing the teenage boy to scream out in frustration and fatigue. Not wanting his mother to wake up, Hikaru had hissed at Sai that it was still way to early, the Go convention wouldn't start before 8 o'clock and with the promise to get up within the next two hours, he had got back to sleep.

2 Hours later, his mood hadn't exactly gotten much better, considering it was weekend and theoretically, he could have slept in today. Being his usual grumpy self in the morning, Hikaru had had breakfast and strolled outside, eyes still half-closed, the happy and not being able to stay quiet ghost whirling around him, expressing his feelings with chatter and laughter. As a result, Hikaru had lost the last vestiges of self-control and yelled at the ghost.

Being too familiar with Hikaru's grumpiness in the mornings, Sai didn't take his rudeness much to heart. As a matter of fact, nothing could have ruined his good mood for that day, since it would be filled with Go-related matters.

'Wow! So many people!'

Hikaru's eyes widened as he took in the scene in front of him. It was only shortly past 9.30 - Hikaru wanted to stop at a newly opened shop wish exclusively sold sportswear - but the convention was in full swing already.

Standing in the doorway, taking everything in, he wondered at the sheer size of the convention and number of people taking part in it. He had expected to see a small hall with a few tables being set up for even less few people to play Go a little, maybe one person to explain a couple things. But that in front of him was beyond all his imagination. People of all ages where gathered, even teens his own age and younger!

Tables and stands were set up where people taught novices how to play and at the other side of the hall a man stood in front of a screen which showed a well played pattern on it - proving it was a game between two very good players - commenting on a game being played as he was speaking.

In another corner of the hall, gobans, Go-related books and other accessories like fans were displayed to be sold.

It wasn't so much the size that impressed Hikaru to the extent of speechlessness, but even more so the atmosphere in that very hall.

This game brought people together. He knew that in various sports, people gathered to either play, watch or talk about it, caused by their love, obsession, whatsoever - like soccer for example. He could understand that. So why did it surprise him so much, that Go could have the same effect? People here actually had fun, he wonderingly acknowledged as he looked around, watching the faces and interactions of the folks around him. He really needed to learn a lot, Hikaru decided, a bit ashamed of himself for being ignorant and his hitherto stupid holding on to prejudices.

'Hikaru, let's go inside to take a closer look!' With Sai's shouting, he got yanked out of his deep thoughts.

Smiling to himself, he took a glance at Sai whose face beamed with joy and excitement. His own mood got a great deal better after their slight detour to the sports-shop and he found his own heart start beating a bit faster at the sheer thought of the unknown and exciting things he would see and learn today.

'Yeah, what should we check out first? Let's get a look at the stands.'

"If you connect your stones here, it's gonna be easier to secure this corner, otherwise there's too much room for an attack from your opponent. See, almost all your efforts will be in vain if you ignore it."

Kurata 8-dan ended his explanation and looked up at the newbie to see whether he understood it or not. A teenager seemed to be interested in what he had to say as well and drew closer to take a look at the board. Well, he probably couldn't see the life and death situation, he didn't look like a Go player at all, more like a punk with his baggy clothes and bleached bangs.

"Hmmmm.. I don't get this.." The boy scratched his head and Kurata felt vindicated in his first impression of that teen, praising himself silently what a good judge of character he was after all.

" Isn't it better to leave this corner alone and advance to the upper right corner? When you play here and then here the opponent has no choice but to react, so the stones can still live and after playing here and here you can connect with the other stones and you can safe both corners in the end." As the teen spoke, he showed what he meant by placing down the stones. Kurata stood there a silent moment, not knowing what to say. How could he, the great Kurata, have misjudged someone to such an extreme?

Well, he could deal with his imperfection later, right now, the boy was of much more interest. "You're right, boy! Haha, how unexpected of you to find such a nice solution! I showed this Gentleman here a solution according to his current level. Mister, would you have seen this way, the young teen just now showed us?" Kurata asked, turning to the other person.

"Hmm.. No, I have to admit that I couldn't read that far ahead. My thoughts only remained at that one corner."

"That's what I'm saying, everyone has to be taught step by step, for you, it was more important to first understand how you could save this group here."

Kurata turned to the teenager. "What's your name, boy? You're not too bad, are you an insei? Because you managed to impress me, I'll be so nice to sign an autograph for you. Now aren't you the lucky one."

"Uuhh, no, no thanks, sir. Why would I want an autograph? Are you famous or something?" With a curious look on his face, the teenager faced Kurata.

"Eehh?" Kurata couldn't believe the blasphemous words coming out of the boy's mouth. That brat didn't know him? The whole Go world knew who he was! Well, at least Japan, but soon also the other countries, he would make sure of that. Giving him an evil look, Kurata challenged the boy.

"Alright, since you're being a bit on the ignorant side I'll let your blunter pass. But so that you can remember the great Kurata from now on, I'm gonna let you play against me."

Cleaning the board in front of him, Kurata sat down to prepare for the game.

'Uhhh.. Is he really serious?'

"I think he is, Hikaru. He seems quite determined. Do you think you insulted him in any way?"

'Pfff.. That fatty fancies himself a bit too much for my taste. His autograph! Is he some kind of popstar or what? Alright, I'm gonna play a game, I want to see how far I can get.'

Determined to make this game a good match, Hikaru sat down, facing his very first opponent.

Sai looked down at his host, smiling secretively. Finally his little friend had given in in the urge to play. He had pushed it back with whole force, but in the end no one could elude destiny. Was that what it was? Hikaru's fate? He had to admit, it was indeed possible. Today he had seen the potential that was still hidden inside of Hikaru, a talent, waiting to be awakened and nourished. He himself had also been surprised when Hikaru had seen such a passage in the game before. It was a hand, he himself would have probably played. That Hikaru was able to see that, only after such a short period of watching him play, that was really something. Intriguing. I think I can now understand the reason why you let me meet Hikaru, God.

'Damn!'

Sweat was running down Hikaru's temple. His eyes were searching for a way out, a way to still survive. He felt despair building up inside of him. How could he lose so badly? He had had many ideas and seen lots of possibilities during the game, but in the end, he hadn't been able to play it out.

His head dropped down. He knew he had to say the words but just the thought of it left a bitter taste in his mouth. "I resign", he ultimately whispered.

"Well, well, that was an interesting game, boy." Kurata looked at the board and seemed confused. "But honestly, I had expected a better game, although you certainly didn't do too shabby. You lack experience to back up your ideas, that's all. How long have you been playing anyway?"

"_Hikaru, you've played a great game." _

'Yeah right, great! That's why I lost so badly!'

"_That's because you still lack experience, you have to play more to gain skill. For someone who has never played before, you did more then great. You definitely have potential."_ Sai tried to cheer up the teenager. Secretly he was glad about Hikaru's dejection. Being in low spirits showed that he really cared and wouldn't be satisfied with things as they were now. The old Hikaru wouldn't have cared about win or loss, so this could really be considered a giant stride towards growth.

Hikaru looked up to meet Kurata's eyes. Determination and fire burned in the teen's green orbs. "The next time we play, it won't be such an easy win for you, that's a promise! I'm gonna start to learn this game and I'm gonna defeat each and everyone."

"Big words, boy, hope you can back them up", Kurata shouted as the teen strode away. _What did he mean, he's gonna __**learn**__ how to play..? This couldn't have been his first game, could it? Nah, no one would be able to play such a game as the first one, otherwise he'd be a genius. Pfff.. Defeat me. Ha! You'd have to be Touya Akira to even think about defeating me in the next couple years. Now, __**that's**__ someone to look out for. Brrr' _mentally shuddering, Kurata turned towards the girl who just arrived at the stand. "Ah, Nase, right? Are you gonna take the pro exam this year? How about a quick game?"

"_Hikaru, where are we going? We just arrived here, we can't leave, we haven't seen everything yet! Hikaruuu!"_ The ghost trailed after Hikaru, whining and complaining as the teenager, without even looking back and grimly determined, strode towards the exit.

'_Come on, Sai, we have to go somewhere now.' _

"_Aaahhh. I sooo looked forward to this day, how can you be so mean, Hikaru, you really have no heart."_ Sobbing, the ghost followed the teen.

After hearing Sai's tirade for more than 10 minutes, he finally reached the place he was looking for. The ghost recognized it also and he looked surprised at his host. _"Hikaru, isn't this the place where you found me?"_

A sad look overshadowed the teen's face for a few seconds before he turned towards the door of the old shed_. 'Yes, it was grandpa's storage place. He left everything for me in there. Man, fortunately I didn't sell anything in there yet.'_

" _Huh? Hikaru, what are you planning on doing?"_

Hikaru shot an annoyed glance at the ghost. _'I obviously need a few things if I really want to become a good player, won't I? Grandpa stored tons of books in here, they should be helpful, besides, your goban is also here. Although it has the blood stains on it, we should still be able to play on it for the time being_.'

Hikaru started to search for other useful things so he didn't see Sai's tears of joy running down his cheeks. _Finally I have a purpose. I've been selfish until now. I only thought about reaching the Hand of God, playing myself as much as possible. But I guess I've had my chance_. He wistfully thought. _Now it's Hikaru's turn. Such a talent, and __**I**__ am allowed to help developing it. I will give my all, God. I won't let this chance pass by._


End file.
